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Phil Salt has stirred conversation with a cheeky remark about his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate, Virat Kohli. In a candid moment during an appearance on RCB’s ‘Insider’ show with Mr Nags, the England batter referred to Kohli not as a friend, but simply a “colleague.”
The comment immediately caught attention and left fans wondering if there was tension brewing between the two openers.
Just a Joke, Not a Jibe
During the exchange, Salt’s unexpected choice of words made the host pause—but the 28-year-old was quick to clarify.
“I’ll clear that up now, Mr Nags. Everybody I have played cricket with is a friend of mine. I just didn’t want to give you any extra ammunition,” Salt explained, suggesting it was all in good humor.
Thankfully for Salt, his explanation seemed to diffuse any backlash from Kohli’s ardent supporters.
A Powerful Pairing at the Top
Despite the joke, Salt and Kohli have been delivering results together at the top of the order for RCB in IPL 2025.
Salt, who joined the franchise for a hefty ₹11.50 crore, has embraced the aggressor’s role. His quick starts have complemented Kohli’s more measured approach.
With 239 runs under his belt at a blazing strike rate of 168.31, Salt has already notched up two fifties, hammering 13 sixes and 30 fours this season.
From KKR Standout to RCB Mainstay
Salt’s performance this year follows an explosive 2024 season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he smashed 435 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 182.01.
Despite playing a key role in KKR’s title-winning run, he was surprisingly released ahead of the new season. That twist of fate landed him at RCB—who were in the market for a hard-hitting opener to pair with Kohli.
Salt has embraced the opportunity and the support that comes with it.
“All I can say to the fans (is) that the support has been incredible at the Chinnaswamy and wherever RCB has gone. And it’s a really noticeable difference here in Bengaluru, the passion of the fans. So very, very grateful for that,” he shared.
With runs flowing and chemistry clicking on the field, Salt’s “not friends” quip may just go down as another quirky moment in RCB’s vibrant locker room culture.
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